From: Russell131@aol.com
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 94 08:06:54 EDT
Diver Louganis: Change volleyball venue
By Karen Rosen, staff writer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
St. Louis -- Olympic champion diver Greg Louganis on Thursday urged
Atlanta Olympics organizers to move volleyball preliminaries from Cobb
County because of the county's condemnation of the "gay lifestyle."
"It's an important issue to me," Louganis said in his first major
statement as an openly gay athlete.
He addressed the Cobb issue after receiving one of the U.S. Olympic
Committee's highest awards, the Robert J. Kane award, before about 1,000
people at the U.S. Olympic Festival.
Louganis, who won four Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988, is the
first high-profile gay athlete to lobby for moving the volleyball venue.
"Now, added to normal pressures of competition, the gay athletes who
participate in volleyball preliminaries will have the added pressure of
knowing they're not wanted in Cobb County," he said.
The County Commission passed a resolution last summer condemning the
"gay lifestyle" and last month narrowly rejected a move to alter it.
"I think the people of Cobb County have the right to pass whatever
resolutions they want, but by passing an anti-gay resolution they've made it
clear that some of the athletes will not be welcome."
He added that the USOC has sent an important message by selecting "an
openly gay athlete" for the Kane award.
"Now you can reinforce that message by encouraging the Atlanta
Committee for the Olympic Games to move the volleyball preliminaries to a
venue that welcomes all athletes, including gay and lesbian athletes."
It was not immediately clear whether his statement will make an impact
on the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG).
In its official response, ACOG said it respects Louganis'
accomplishments and appreciates his opinions but still hopes "the Cobb
County Commission and the various parties involved will reach a compromise
acceptable to all.
"In the meantime, we are continuing to explore our options, keeping in
mind that our first obligation is to the athletes who will come here in
1996."
ACOG officials have been under intense pressure to remove preliminary
volleyball matches from the Cobb Galleria Centre because of the resolution.